1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a protective package for fragile or delicate objects. More specifically, the present invention relates to a container for use in shipping and handling font disc segments for phototypesetters.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Phototypesetting systems employ discs of plastic or glass to contain the fonts or other indicia to be projected onto an image receiving medium. A single font disc may contain several different fonts, and, as a result, it is believed desirable to manufacture the disc in sections, for example, four quadrants, which may be interchanged by the user in accordance with his particular requirements. For example, a typical user may find it necessary or desirable to maintain an inventory of disc segments which he can insert or remove from the phototypesetter as needed.
Although this interchangeability feature provides the phototypesetter with substantial flexibility, it also creates obvious handling problems because of the fragile and delicate nature of the disc segments. Care should be taken to minimize the possibility of chipping or scratching the segment surface or of otherwise contaminating it, both during storage and handling. Accordingly, some suitable container is needed to store and transport the segment, and although a variety of containers for fragile articles are known in the prior art, none have been found to be fully adequate for the special problems of font segments.